Western Europe

In 2023, the financial constraints faced by consumers due to the rising costs of living in Belgium pushed many individuals towards more affordable mass beauty and personal care products. Restrictions on promotions, brought forth by the new EU Omnibus…

Mass beauty and personal care continued to account for the vast majority of overall beauty and personal care retail value and volume sales in 2022. Mass beauty and personal care recorded strong growth in retail current value terms, albeit boosted by…

Despite inflation showing signs of easing, the cost of hair care products continued to rise in Turkey in 2023. This economic pressure is impacting consumer spending habits. Many were forced to "trade down" to more affordable options, prioritising…

Hair care recorded another year of solid current value growth in 2023, but this was predominantly driven by unit price increases, as established products such as standard shampoos and 2-in-1 products contracted in volume terms. Diminishing interest…

In 2023, hair care in the Netherlands recorded a strong increase in retail current value sales, inflated by high inflationary pressure on prices, as retail volume sales decreased slightly overall. However, the retail volume performance was mixed,…

Hair care in Switzerland continued to register retail volume and current value growth in 2023. As consumers resumed out-of-home lifestyles, they were more inclined to spend on hair care. Retail current value growth was faster than volume growth as…

Hair care in Sweden continues to see positive volume growth, with value further boosted by inflation and a modest premiumisation trend. Unlike other beauty and personal care categories like fragrances and skin care, hair care has not witnessed a…

Sales in hair care in Spain in 2023 were supported by “home salon” trends inspired by a time of economic uncertainty. While volume sales only just managed to achieve a positive trend, growth is improving compared to previous negative-volume figures;…

In 2023, retail volume sales of hair care in Portugal registered weak growth, with the performance of standard shampoo, a category with a high rate of penetration in Portuguese households, impacting the overall performance. In addition, mounting…

Hair care experienced significant growth during the pandemic as consumers had more time for self-care and participated in increased outdoor activities. However, the exceptional growth rates seen in 2020 and 2021 have moderated in 2022 and 2023.…

Hair care experienced robust growth in current value terms in 2023, with this being driven by significant price hikes across all categories. This surge can be attributed to inflationary pressures, which prompted major brands to raise their selling…

Hair care in Ireland recorded positive retail value sales in 2023, while retail volume recorded growth in areas including colourants, conditioners and treatments, and shampoos. With high inflation and negative GDP, disposable incomes decreased. This…

Hair care registered current value growth in 2023, driven largely by price rises. The two key categories of standard shampoos and conditioners and treatments saw volume sales decline, despite current value growth. For shampoos, price rises were…

Hair care remained on a healthy growth trajectory in Germany in 2022, and is expected to continue growing in the forecast period. Throughout the pandemic, Germany’s retail and salon closures led to new trends amongst consumers, who started applying…

Although hair care in France witnessed a small decline in volume sales in 2023, it saw solid current value growth. All categories were stable or increased in value terms, boosted by significant price growth, with salon professional hair care leading…

Hair care in Finland experienced healthy value growth in 2023. However, this increase was largely driven by price hikes, with volume growth ranging from slightly negative to slightly positive. Consumers curtailed impulse purchases, leading to a…

Hair care in Denmark continued to witness positive current value growth in 2023, largely driven by inflation in 2023 with rising prices contributing to stagnant retail volume sales. Lower consumer purchasing power resulted in some downtrading to more…

Hair care in Belgium saw further decline in volume sales over 2023, as consumers remained conservative in their expenditure. Energy and heating costs were still high, and many consumers chose to shower less and use less shampoo. Indeed, shampoo is…

Hair care generates a healthy share of overall beauty and personal care retail sales in Austria. In 2022, hair care accounted for the second-highest retail value share in beauty and personal care, behind skin care. The demand for hair care was stable…

Driven by younger generations like Gen Z, a new fragrance philosophy emerged in Turkey in 2023 – the concept of a curated "fragrance wardrobe." Consumers are increasingly interested in owning a collection of scents that reflect their moods and…

Following strong growth and value recovery in 2022 from the pandemic’s impact, fragrances in the UK recorded another solid performance in 2023. Key growth drivers include the ongoing premiumisation trend along with inflationary price hikes, thereby…

Fragrances in the Netherlands registered high single-digit retail current value growth in 2023, following a double-digit increase in 2022, to continue its post-Coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery. Retail volume sales also continued to rebound, albeit at…

Fragrances in Switzerland posted a positive growth performance in 2023, albeit slight in retail volume terms. Retail current value growth was stimulated by the inflationary context, which led to unit price and retail selling price increases.…

A powerful current of premiumisation is sweeping fragrances in Sweden. Consumers are increasingly drawn to niche or artisanal scents, seeking individuality and exclusivity. These unique olfactory experiences offer a way to stand out from the crowd.…

Premium fragrances outperformed mass fragrances in Spain in 2023, as consumers seek to treat themselves to “affordable indulgences”. Interestingly, despite the depressed economic climate, with the cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressures,…

Premium fragrances in Portugal registered positive retail volume growth in 2022, while mass fragrances recorded a decline. Despite Portuguese consumers being more price-sensitive during high levels of inflation, this did not lead to trading down. On…

Fragrances emerged as the biggest winner in beauty and personal care during the pandemic, partly due to a decline in duty-free purchases. Surprisingly, despite the return of travel and a rise in duty-free sales in 2022 and 2023, domestic fragrance…

Sales of fragrances saw a quick recovery returning to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022 in both value and volume terms. Fragrances continued to show a similar trend in 2023 with double-digit growth in current value terms as well as steady growth…

In 2023, fragrances in Ireland recorded double-digit retail value growth due to rising inflation. However, despite price rises and negative GDP shrinking the average disposable income, premium fragrances performed better than their mass counterparts…

During the pandemic, the main channels for premium fragrances, department stores and beauty specialist retailers, suffered the biggest losses, while home seclusion and limited opportunities for going out and socialising dampened demand. However,…

After two years of decline in 2020 and 2021, fragrances was the most dynamic category across beauty and personal care in retail current value terms in 2022, with sales seeing exceptional growth, rising to above the pre-COVID-19 level, seen in 2019.…

Fragrances in France saw double-digit current value growth along with minor volume growth in 2023, and was one of the best performing categories within beauty and personal care. The growth driver was premium fragrances, which saw double-digit current…

Fragrances in Finland, as a product area, experienced positive growth in both volume and value terms in 2023. This can be attributed in part to a return to pre-pandemic fragrance use habits and high levels of marketing activity from major brands.…

Fragrances in Denmark witnessed another difficult year in 2023 following the noticeable decrease in sales during the previous year. Sales of fragrances had surged in 2021 when consumers returned to socialising post-pandemic, so demand patterns are…

Inflation remained high in 2023 leading to significant price increases in the fragrance industry and placing further pressure on consumer budgets. This, in turn, led to strong value sales growth of fragrances in 2023, while volume sales of fragrances…

Overall, fragrances recorded mid-single digit retail current value sales growth in 2022. This performance was supported by a marginal recovery in the demand for premium fragrances, as a result of a return to more regular usage and purchasing…

Depilatories recorded double-digit growth in retail value terms in 2023. This strong increase was largely driven by price increases, however, as volume sales grew at a steadier pace. Depilatories are facing a two-pronged challenge when it comes to…

Depilatories in the UK recorded a rise in value sales for a second consecutive year in 2023. Women's razors and blades, which recorded 3% value growth, was the main driver behind this performance, although this was mostly driven by inflation and…

The recovery of travel helped depilatories in the Netherlands to limit the decline in retail volume sales to a marginal one in 2023, following a moderate increase in 2022. Strong growth in average unit prices spiked retail current value growth;…

Depilatories in Switzerland saw positive retail volume and current value growth in 2023. However, this development was mainly due to the good performance of women’s razors and blades. This category posted the only increase in retail volume terms and…

Depilatories remained a relatively uneventful category in 2023. While the continued popularity of the Estrid brand injects some innovation, overall growth is modest. Depilatory products are considered an essential item by most Swedish women, leading…

Sales in depilatories in Spain were supported by the “home spa” trend in 2023, resulting in positive value and volume growth. Indeed, volume sales were stronger when compared to 2022, having bounced back into positive figures following a slump.…

Demand for depilatories in Portugal registered visible retail volume growth in 2023. Hot summer led many Portuguese women to wear outfits that exposed skin, leading to more frequent purchases of depilatories. In addition, high inflation rates in 2022…

Depilatories in Norway is characterised by a high degree of maturity. The preference for a hairless appearance has been the norm for a long time, leading to limited opportunities for innovation and premiumisation. Furthermore, the market is dominated…

Sales of depilatories saw a positive performance in both volume and current value terms in 2023. Demand for these products was sustained by consumers continuing to return to their more active lifestyles, following the end of the pandemic, with 2023…

Depilatories in Ireland in 2023 recorded a positive performance, with hair removers/bleaches and women's razors and blades showcasing positive retail volume and value growth. Poor economic indicators with shrinking disposable incomes and high…

A chronically declining category, hair removers and bleaches has seen an uptick in sales in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this increase can be attributed to increased willingness amongst consumers to socialise.

In 2022, retail sales of depilatories saw an improved performance in current value terms compared with 2021. This was partly due to inflationary pressures, which increased unit prices and drove growth. At the same time, retail volume sales saw a…

Depilatories in France saw a minor current value decline and a more significant fall in volume terms in 2023, after positive performances the previous year. A number of factors contributed to this decline, most notably the value declines in sales of…

Depilatories in Finland witnessed sluggish growth in 2023. Consumers, facing economic constraints, readily opted for private label or budget-friendly alternatives. This trend was particularly evident in the women's razor and blade area, where the…